There’s Wine For A Tormented Soul this Christmas when Swedish gothic rock band Scheitan release their new album, on 19th December via The Circle Music.
Wine For A Tormented Soul features eight tracks, including the band’s previously released recent singles.
Scheitan‘s Pierre Törnkvist’s said: I am very much looking forward to presenting the new Scheitan album to the audience. The title Wine For A Tormented Soul comes from what music can mean to people that run into hardship in life. Music is my therapy, it is my best friend in dark times. The last 10 years have been a bumpy road with one of my best friends passing away too early as well as my father leaving us from one day to another. Some of the songs have been presented to people as singles, with the upcoming album you can hear them in the context of an album, and also listen to them in a non-digital format such as vinyl which I think is the best way to do it. We will try to come out and play these new songs for you as much as we can.”
Wine For A Tormented Soul features the tracks ‘A Kiss Of Death’ – that you can check out a teaser video for here at RAMzine, ‘Heaven Tonight’, ‘Döden Ar Helt Underbar’, ‘Love N Death’, ‘Every Little Thing’, ‘Out Of Here’, ‘Carry Me Home‘ and ‘Dream Away’ – It can be ordered here.
The music video for previous single ‘Heaven Tonight’ was a collaborative art project produced by noted photo artist Annie Bertram (known for her work with Blutengel, She Hates Emotions, and The Giger Museum), that brought the track’s dark but energetic feel to life. The video also features Katrin Lanfire and Maik Beiersdorf, well-known figures in the goth scene.
Annie Bertram commented on it thus: “The video unites several artists from Europe, including Sweden, France, Switzerland, Ukraine and Germany. It was shot in the house of the Portenier artists in France. In the rooms of the house you find works of the artists as surreal airbrush paintings, objects and furniture. The story of the video was filmed in the temple, in the atelier, opium room and the dining room.
“The artists Pat and Kat are also playing a role – as the older couple. The younger couple are Katryn and Maik – well known in the German gothic scene. Mark is an artist as well – but this time a digital artist. I tried to tell their love stories and connect the people and the place together.”
Musically, the track is a gloomy but upbeat offering, and showcases the band’s signature blend of strong melodies, a danceable rhythm, and an unforgettable chorus.
The track is a gloomy but upbeat offering, and said to showcase the band’s blend of strong melodies, danceable rhythm, and unforgettable chorus.
According to Scheitan‘s Törnkvist, the song carries a poignant duality: “‘Heaven Tonight’ could be the feeling of spending the evening with that special person you love, but it could also describe that last night before leaving this earthly prison we all spend our lives in.” This depth of meaning, coupled with the track’s infectious energy, makes ‘Heaven Tonight’ a compelling addition to Scheitan‘s discography.
For those who frequent the gothic club scene, Scheitan had another treat in store. A remix of ‘Heaven Tonight’ crafted by Asbury Heights‘ CJ as a club-ready version of the already danceable track.
Törnkvist commented on the collaboration: “No, we are not going disco, the upcoming album will be as much goth as it can be. But, we have a remix of ‘Heaven Tonight’, done by none other than CJ of Swedish synthpop starlets Ashbury Heights, and this one you can dance to. It is both exciting, scary and uplifting to give free hands to another artist to do something completely different with the music you have created.”
‘Heaven Tonight’ was mixed by the renowned Daniel Bergstrand (known for his work with In Flames and Soilwork), while mastering was completed with LANDR.
These releases follows Scheitan‘s 2024 album Songs For The Gothic People (available here) their return after a 24-year hiatus. Having formed in 1996 by Pierre Törnkvist, Scheitan began with black metal roots but evolved to define their current gothic rock sound and continue to build on their sound. Their previous albums, including 1999’s Nemesis have garnered a reputation as hidden gems within the genre.
